What it Means to be a Master of Death
by james2131
Summary: Reincarnation takes a cycle of a century and it can happen in many alternate realities, thus when Harry Potter died at age 17, he was reborn in an alternate Earth as a young Japanese girl whose powers are great she was treasured by her family. Thus Harry, now Tohsaka Sakura seeks a way to get chances she never had in life, but is her next life just as problematic as the first?
1. DEATH AND REBIRTH

**DISCONTINUED**

A renowned magus family in Japan, the Tohsaka Family has two daughters.

They intended to have only one child as was custom of a magus family as there can only be one heir.

They already have a daughter named Rin, currently a year old. However, too many night-time loving eventually led to another conception.

The couple worried about the future of the younger child given her heritage. Their house at its current power, can only protect one child while the other has no protection whatsoever from unscrupulous families far more powerful than them.

Fears proven true when Tohsaka Sakura was born with 40 circuits capable of 30 units per circuit...and its a horrifying EX Rank while she has no elements, but a Sorcery Trait of Immortality of all things!

Thus the parents had no idea what to do.

Their eldest Rin, has 40 circuits with an output of 20 units, and an Average One.

However, as if hearing their worries, Death appeared before them, terrifying the couple.

Peace, humans. said Death. For you hold my master.

'Y-your master?' Aoi stammered out in fear.

Yes...her past life died at a young age of 17 years due to a civil war while unknowingly uniting my three treasures that made her Master of her own Death which is what it means to be a 'Master of Death' when one gathered my three treasures. Death told them. Until she decides how she wants to die, she can never truly die. She will keep getting reincarnated each time her body dies by natural causes. Until then, nothing can truly kill her. No method will ever work unless she wished to. If you worry about magus traditions, amorality and politics, rest assured that nobody from the magus community outside your family will know her existence. She may as well be invisible to any magus not of Tohsaka blood...until age 17 under my protection as a freebie. You can keep her safe within that time, that I guarantee. and Death vanished.

'Dear...' Aoi gulped. 'Can we really keep both our girls?'

'If so, yes.' said Tokiomi. 'Sakura may learn sorcery but she can never go to Clock Tower. Ever.' he said firmly. 'For her own good. Rin will still be our family heir in regards to our sorcery and Sakura is free to do as she pleases as long as she does not disgrace the house...I'm sure she wouldn't as we are both good parents, but a precaution.' he said. 'Once the girls are 7 and 5 respectively, return to your family's home so that they may have a happy childhood without a magus snooping around. And it will be war soon.'

With that, they raised their two girls together.

However, when Sakura was two...

She has this look of disbelief and incredulity...and when shown affection, she clearly could not understand nor comprehend being loved. She was shocked!

And she was clearly wondering what was she supposed to do when Aoi tried breastfeeding her. In fact, she closed her eyes with her hands! She wouldn't breastfeed from embarrassment and needed 'a little nudging' to make her breastfeed.

'Sakura, do you remember your past?' Tokiomi asked his toddler daughter carefully who's a reincarnate of someone else.

'...I do.' said Sakura. 'I never thought that...adults would give a damn about me and actually care for a change.' Aoi looked horrified while Tokiomi's eyes widened. 'I was an orphan. My parents are murdered by a wizard who has delusions of grandeur and a damn bigot whose prejudice and bias is as big as Everest itself. I got saddled with my mom's human relatives who are the types why you should NOT die if your relations are pieces of shits for people.' she said bitterly. 'I grew up knowing I'm hated, scorned, and made their abused housemaid and nearly-starved most of my life. My uncle hated anything magic which he deems as freaky and my aunt is jealous of mother and took it out on me when I found that out later in life as mother was everything she wasn't. Beautiful, smart, magical and married a good-looking rich husband. I...I never knew what's it like to be loved like this...' said Sakura awkwardly. 'W-what am I supposed to feel and think if I was loved for a change?'

'O-oh dear!' Aoi choked out, hands over her mouth from the horror that was the reincarnate's past.

'Forget the past.' said Tokiomi kindly. 'You're our daughter now. The past should stay where it belongs.' he said, patting her head.

'T-thank you...dad.' said Sakura shakily with a sad smile. 'For all the crap I put up with from start to end, I want something good for a change. And, uhm, I used to be a boy so seeing mom's er...' she said, looking very, VERY awkward. 'I once had a girlfriend but I never got to see hers and seeing mom's thing all of a sudden...can't I have a milk bottle instead?'

The couple exchanged looks.

That explained why breastfeeding her was so troublesome. Sakura was once a boy and still a virgin.

'But dear, as a baby you breastfed from me though you're a blind newborn back then.' Aoi told her daughter...whose expression was comically priceless and sembled a tomato before fainting. '...should we worry about Sakura's marrying prospects if she's a boy at heart Tokiomi?' Aoi giggled at her daughter's reaction.

'...that's a bridge we'll cross someday.' said Tokiomi wryly. 'And she's clearly a virgin if she thinks what should be something natural is something to be horrified about. It'll be a challenge raising a reincarnate who's older than she looks.' he mused, scratching his head.

'But she never got a happy childhood which is what she wants.' said Aoi. 'She wanted the chances and choices denied to her. At least our relatives aren't horrible incase something DID happen to us...' she stammered out.

'Well, you know full well something will happen to me...so your duty is to stay alive.' said Tokiomi, pecking his wife on the brow. 'Getting orphaned again might be the final straw.'

'...'

Thus for quite a while, Sakura lived a peaceful life with her family, until one day...Tokiomi called the girls over.

'Rin, Sakura,' said Tokiomi, 'Next year, I will participate in an event called the Holy Grail Ritual.'

'Holy Grail Ritual? What's that?' Rin asked her father.

'Its a ritual wherein seven magi summon Ghost Liners, the most powerful familiars to fight for them.' said Tokiomi. 'These Ghost Liners are called 'Servants'. We summon them using artifacts directly related to the kind of Servant we want to summon who belong in seven classes of Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster and Assassin. Once there's one winner in this battle, the Holy Grail will appear to the winner, and grant them a wish.' he said. 'The founder of this ritual are three families and one great magician, our ancestor Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. The founding families are we Tohsaka, the Matou and the Einzbern Families so we are obligated to participate. Daddy will be fighting with his Servant, so you girls will go to your mother's hometown for your safeties.'

'Ehhhh?! Why can't we watch?!' Rin whined.

'Because its not above enemies to blow up our house just to defeat a rival, that's why its dangerous to stay.' said Tokiomi to Rin. 'That's why you cannot stay. So Rin, you will begin the transitioning into inheriting the family Magic Crest as of today until next year wherein I'll leave the rest for the Church to do so incase I lose.'

Sakura sent Tokiomi a knowing look. She knows full well what her father meant by lose.

He might die.

'Well, is there anything you girls would like to ask before you move next town over?' Tokiomi asked his daughters.

'Father, what are the magical subjects magi can study other than the family trade?' Sakura asked their father. 'We should purchase many books from basics to mastery so we can begin studying.'

The Tohsaka greatly excel in the Conversion of Power, which they focus in Jewelcraft.

'Hooo? Eager to study now are we?' Tokiomi smiled. 'Then I will list down subjects and your job is to choose.'

'Hai~!'

In katakana was written:

Alchemy

Healing*

Bounded Fields*

Restoration/Repair*

Divination

Summoning

Elemental Magic

Witchcraft

Kabbalah

Onmyoudo

Shintoism

Puppetry

Golemancy

Shamanism

Material Alteration

Mental Interference*

Time Manipulation

Spatial Manipulation

Magical Inscription

Sealing/Unsealing

Craftsmanship

Enchantments

Magical Augmentation

Psionics

Runecraft

Formalcraft

Necromancy

Transformation

Conjuration

Creation

Curses

Evocation

Black Arts

White Arts

'Wah! So many!' Rin gasped out, wide-eyed.

'There are many more but sadly, some arts are lost in history through war and destruction.' said Tokiomi. 'Thus many magi created their own styles as a result and their own history.' he told them. 'So what will you girls pick? Daddy will purchase them all.' he said. 'However, those I marked with stars, are a must-have requirement all Magi worth their salt knows, alright? So you must learn them along with subjects you chose.'

'Uh...why not buy everything?' Sakura piped up causing the parents to balk. 'Neesan and I may want this and that but what if our kids want something different to work with in the future, a future where we can't buy any more books because we ran out of money at some point?'

'...'

'...she has a point but wouldn't that be expensive...?' Aoi croaked out worriedly.

'Well, magecraft is an expensive venture to begin with.' said Tokiomi. 'Its why many magi who don't have business skills often do freelance work to fund their craft. And Sakura, we own a lot of commercial spiritual lands, so you should not worry about our family running out of money, not to mention we have magical patents from Clock Tower and we get from them annually hundred millions. And we hardly overspend unlike some reckless families we can name, you should not worry.'

Well, Sakura has well-pointed out worries as money doesn't rain forever on them as there will come a time when it will all stop, leaving their family destitute. Thus Tokiomi planned on leaving Aoi the deeds and required paperwork for her to deal with, with Sakura's help in order to manage their properties and keep money coming. He determined Sakura's trustworthiness through spells and she passed. This is of course, kept secret from Rin as one day, Aoi will be the one to teach Rin how to manage their house, even if Sakura is loads better at it.

Thus through many channels under different names to conceal this, he bought books concerning subjects from basics to mastery. Well, things not in the family workshop just yet of course. Some books there were 'trap books' incase somebody snooped around without approval of the Tohsaka Head. And as Rin is to be the family head to inherit his workshop, Tokiomi told Sakura to build her workshop elsewhere as only Heads and Heirs can enter the Family Workshop, with the Magic Crest as Key to safely get in it and traps will kill others without it.

He also built a Library to contain the newly-purchased books, which the two sisters can take from anytime for a week wherein the books will automatically return to their placing in the shelves to be fair between the two girls, and he started training them in the basics...before the ladies of the house retreated away.

But it bothered Rin how her mother and sister behaved while at their grandparents' place. Gloomy.

'Sakura, you and mom haven't been cheerful since we left home.' said Rin, as she and Sakura practiced basics together.

'Neesan, battles usually mean death to the loser.' said Sakura to Rin's horror. 'Father has a strong Servant because he said so, but the problem are other Magi.' she told Rin. 'And western Magi are far crueler with no morals or conscience to speak of. And unlike us and those sponsored for by the Association, father is admittedly a mediocre magus who raised his spells and abilities to make up for our shallow lineage. The Tohsaka are only 200 years old. The only reason we're renown is because our family founded together this Holy Grail Ritual in the first place. Otherwise we're nobodies not even worth noting by the Association. To increase our fame, we have to be great magi ourselves without getting slapped by a Designate as father warned us of.'

Rin gulped.

To be a Sealing Designate, you must have a truly incredible work that cannot be replicated by a first-rate magus.

The fancy wording of Clock Tower is just an excuse. Anyone who saw through these flowery words, especially with latest happening basically meant 'unless you're from a Family of Lords, you're not allowed to be anything more special than them' and highly amazing works must be able to be replicated by anybody but plagiarism is out of the question lest you earn the community's disdain for being a copycat who cannot come up with their own work.

The only thing that allowed this nonsensical law to get through, is also for protection and secrecy of Magecraft and put a stop to the Philosophers who would do any means, even countless casualties included to further their craft that even the humans and laws would notice or worse, the Counter Guardians would notice. The Hermits on the other hand, are kept under watch until 'it's time'.

'But Sakura, father won't die.'

'Well, anything can happen. Mother knows it and I know it and even father knows it. Its only you who doesn't.' Sakura shook her head as Rin huffed indignantly. 'For mother, father is going out to die which is why he prepared for our future so we can become proper magi and for you to become proper heir. Once he dies, we'll lose the connections he's made. The only thing left to us are our businesses. We won't be able to obtain special resources anymore until we're old enough for the tower.'

'...'

Rin thought Sakura was sometimes 'far away' and can even say surprising things. Things that often shock their parents on some occasions.

She was far 'too old' for her age.

Yet while more powerful and talented than Rin, Rin was heir because she was an Average One, and compatible with the Magic Crest while Sakura was 'rejected' by it when implant attempts were done on them as infants. Thus it was Rin's duty to make their house prosper as Magi, while it was Sakura's duty to make their house prosper by either numbers, finances or connections. While put out that Sakura was the better magic user, Sakura would say that it was her own impatience and easy-to-get-distracted tendencies that make her screw up. So when Rin learned to calm down, she was just as good as Sakura all along.

And Rin got reminded of the lesson by their father.

'Rin, in order to control mana, you must first control your mind.' he said. 'Lose control, and the mana will rebound back to your body. Too much power in the wrong form will harm not only you, but those around you as well. Strive to consistently maintain the proper flow. That is the Tohsaka Family Precept. It means to be in control and elegant at all times.'

Rin will learn what Sakura learns at some point, just that it was more important for her to become a proper House Head first while juggling elementary school at the same time. Rin, being seven, goes out to school while Sakura being only five, stays home.

However, one day, Rin approached Sakura who was studying business management books. Magic by day, business by night due to her family duties. 'Sakura, a minute.'

'Huh?' Sakura blinked.

'I need your help.' said Rin, wearing a big...something.

'What's that round thing on your neck?' Sakura asked her curiously.

'Its a mana detector father gave me as an early birthday present.' said Rin. 'I'm gonna use it to find Kotone...a lot of kids from my school disappeared...funerals without bodies in coffins too...' she stammered worriedly. 'And Kotone never came home today!'

'Izzat right...' Sakura frowned. 'Alright, I'll come. Just so you know, mom will chew us out for this, OK?'

'I know but I can't stay still knowing she's in danger!' Rin cried.

With that, the two sisters took a train ride to Fuyuki City...and Fuyuki City is a creepy place at night.

'...this is...Fuyuki at night?' Rin gulped as it was too eerie. 'It's scary.'

'With the serial killings as you say happening, nobody'd dare be out too.' Sakura said wryly. 'What does the detector say?' Rin took out her pendant as it glowed and was spinning nonstop.

'Its spinning over and over...it means there's mana traces all over the place.' said Rin.

'You take the lead since you know how to use that thing.' Sakura told her. 'I'll watch our back. We're essentially following a psycho who kidnaps kids, so we have to be careful. And watch where you're going or you might make a noise and get them onto us.'

'R-right...' with that, Rin took the lead, going into creepy alleys where the detector reacts...until they saw a man holding a little boy in his hands...and the detector pulsated.

'That...!'

'Shhh! Be quiet! We stalk.' Sakura whispered cautiously. 'That could be a first-rate for all we know, we'll be dead too so be quiet!' and they quietly stalked...until they found their man.

'It's him.' Sakura pointed out to a red-haired guy wearing a white shirt, purple jacket and jeans. 'And neesan, you pant too loudly. Pant quietly.'

And so...

They came to an abandoned underground bar eventually.

"Typical." Sakura thought as they carefully went downstairs where the man went.

She still remembers the spells in her Hogwarts days. So she can fight if needed.

Upon getting there, Rin gasped as among the unconscious children, the girl she called out to was there.

'Kotone! Kotone!' she cried, shaking the unconscious, yet wide-eyed girl awake.

'Neesan, they're under hypnosis.' said Sakura. 'We need a way to wake them up somehow.'

'Hey, you girls lost?' came the friendly question from the kidnapper who was somehow behind them when they swore nobody was here when they got here! How'd he get children so fast?

While Rin panicked, Sakura scanned him immediately.

This guy is no magus, yet somehow he's an ordinary human capable of using a Mystic Code. The bracelet he's wearing. Thus she attacked from behind, electrocuting him.

'Uwaaargh!' and he was out cold.

'Neesan, destroy his bracelet! I'll look out!' Sakura instructed.

'But how?!'

'Overload it! The kids might wake up if its destroyed. He's no magus but he was given a Mystic Code solely for kidnapping kids!' Sakura swore to Rin's horror. 'Why would they help a freaking serial killer?!'

'That's what I'd want to know!' Rin growled as she gave it all she got in overloading the bracelet until it shattered, effectively dispelling the magic in the unconscious kids, and they fled the bar...just in time for a patrol car to pass by...

'Well, all's well that ends well.' said Rin as from afar, they watched as the police took the kids away. 'But what about that guy?'

'Ah, I read about Stun Guns and I turned my magic into something like that.' said Sakura with a grin. 'That dodo-brain won't wake up for a couple more hours. Let's go home. Whoever supplied him might find us here.' and they ran away, heading to the safety of the park to rest.

'Haaa...we managed to do something...' sad Rin, exhausted from their ordeal.

'We should be glad we didn't meet the supplier at any rate.' said Sakura, 'Or we're done for.'

'Yeah...he's probably a serial killer employed to help a magus that uses children as sacrifices for their rituals...talk about sick.' Rin choked, going green at the idea. 'He's really not a magus?'

'Nope. No magic circuits at all. I scanned him. We were really lucky.'

Soon, their mother found them as they were near the main road.

'Rin! Sakura!' Aoi cried in relief. 'L-Let's go home...Fuyuki is dangerous right now!'

xxx

'Sakura, what happened?' Aoi asked as Rin spent up her mana and got sleepy, so they could talk.

'Rin told me her friend never came home. So she asked me for help finding her.' said Sakura. 'Normally, I'd put my foot down but if I did, not only will this cause a rift between us as Rin will see me as an uncaring jerk, but also lose her innocence if someone close to her died. So I came to watch her back. She has father's early birthday present helping us out...and we were really lucky too.' Sakura sighed before frowning.

'However, that serial killer famous in TV lately...somehow he has a magus helping him out. He's a normal human wearing a Mystic Code that he uses to hypnotize children. Neesan overloaded it into shattering while I attacked him from behind to stun him. Once the bracelet was destroyed, the children woke up. Another stroke of luck was a patrol car passing by. We think a magus happily employed him to get children for rituals.'

'Its possible...I'll tell your father about this. Do you have an image of him?' Sakura summoned an empty piece of paper, and used Nensha to print the photo of the guy, color included.

'He's still alive. I didn't kill him.' said Sakura, giving the paper to Aoi. 'I can't kill him in front of Rin. She should not know yet how truly scary death is.'

Aoi was grateful for that.


	2. GROWING UP

With the image of the Serial Killer at hand, Tokiomi began thinking.

Rin recklessly went out to rescue a friend and took Sakura along for the ride.

While he trusts Sakura to watch Rin's back, the point was they're still kids they were truly lucky they were just confronting a man who possessed a Mystic Code even he could use. The girls felt a magus took advantage of his 'hobby' and made him gather children for their rituals, something that made the girls ill. That also left a bad taste in his mouth as he, like his family, are all Christians. They do NOT condone using innocents for their rituals, ever.

While Sakura wanted to kill him as one bad man dead can mean dozens of innocents saved, she could not kill him in front of Rin as Rin was too young to see murder and death firsthand. Sakura didn't want to rob Rin of her innocence just yet.

He gave the paper to Risei who in turn would give the paper to Kirei for him to deal with the man and find the magus who's a possible Master.

But...

'Tokiomi, about that man...' said Risei, showing him a picture of an unconscious man...and on his left hand, was a command spell. 'That man is indeed not a magus yet even a human can be chosen as a Master...this is an unprecedented event.'

'I concur...but why and how? The Grail is only supposed to choose magi, not humans as Masters. What's going on?' Tokiomi frowned. 'At any rate, I'm confident Kirei finished him off, and surely Caster will fade away after a couple more turns so that's one Servant down. But we should hunt Caster to ensure his or her permanent retirement.'

'Who found him out though?' Risei wondered.

'My two incredibly reckless daughters.' Tokiomi chuckled, shaking his head. 'Rin's friend from school was kidnapped, so Rin took Sakura with her on a rescue mission though I don't blame the girls for not knowing this man is a Master as their primary concern was rescue and survival, not investigation. However, they were fortunate that Caster wasn't around and that this man who's obviously the Serial Killer everyone's wary of is a mere human. Otherwise even they admit they're in trouble.'

'I see...I hear that Caster is harassing Saber lately so that's indeed a stroke of good luck.'

xxx

No more weird adventures since, but after three more weeks...the family was called to Tokiomi's Funeral by his student who now manages the Church in Fuyuki.

While they knew it was coming, it still devastated them...and they returned home one less member.

It was hard to adjust even for Sakura as Tokiomi was her first father figure who was a consistent presence as Sirius was never there for her because he was a fugitive.

Two years went by since then, that Sakura met a boy coming home from grocery shopping.

He's an active magus that started out yet...something's very wrong with this guy.

He can use mana but he never used his circuits. He has no excuse as he has perfectly OK 27 Circuits! 'Hey.' Sakura called out.

'Huh?'

The last thing Emiya Shirou, 9 years old saw is a beautiful girl poking him in the forehead...before he passed out.

That was how Fujimura Taiga found him.

xxx

Emiya Shirou begged and whined to his foster father for two years to teach him magecraft. But he only taught him the very basics with little results thus gave up on teaching him.

But he learned something through a forehead poke from that mysterious girl who may as well be a ghost. He never saw her face, only, long brown hair and that can be anybody!

He realized that his father only taught him how to get mana from the world, not how to use his own Circuits to get spells from. No wonder he screws up!

Now that he knows the right way and his father off to a trip somewhere, he can practice! He can practice using his circuits and the spells dad taught him, as well as what he learned...knowledge about Healingcraft and Bounded Fields. So he'd happily experiment about those...and due to a certain something in him, he found that he had incredible talent in those and he was so happy.

Little did Sakura know that she changed his future and caused the existence of EMIYA to start to disappear, much to his older self's delight.

xxx

Years later...

'Neesan, are you not going to Clock Tower instead?' Sakura asked Rin as after graduating from Junior High and Sakura graduating Elementary, Rin was looking into High School papers which Sakura noted. 'Most pupils go there at fifteen right?'

'I would, but what about school?' Rin pointed out.

'Neesan, compulsory schooling is only Elementary and Junior High as by that time, any Japanese Kid completed the kanji needed to live a normal life in Japan then one can go get a job. The only reason most kids go to high school is in order to go to University to get diplomas needed for lucrative jobs and living in Japan for an average family is expensive, so going to university is mostly out of motivation for money.' Sakura explained. 'We Tohsaka have money raining on us, so we have no such worries.'

'That is why you can go to Clock Tower, High School is merely optional for you while for me university is a necessity as I need legality requirements to keep money pouring into our estate and shut up the nosy people. Neesan should go show them that even if we are a shallow lineage, we too can be great. Who knows, if you always impress, you might get the attention of the family ancestor, and be taught by him personally.' Sakura teased her playfully. 'Of all magi in the world, he's the best in Jewelcraft! You might even get clues how to finish the homework he left our family. Just ignore the racial prejudice aimed your way as long as you're doing what you can to be great.'

'And if I do it, I'll be his first heir. Not anyone from that long-dead Matou or the Einzberns!' Rin grinned as she smacked her fist into her palm. 'Yosh! I'm going to do just that! I'm going to London!' she decided perkily, motivated and all fired-up.

'Well, its a tough road since I'm hearing nothing but bad things about that place regarding how they treat us asians.' said Aoi worriedly. 'Be careful alright?'

'I will! Sakura and I got the best combat teacher, we'll be fine!' said Rin.

Aoi looked at her chatting daughters.

Sakura was Rin's motivator.

It was Sakura who pushed Rin to who she is today and is the one with the ideas.

Combat training? Hire a Ryougi who can teach them! Sakura didn't like Kirei for some reason. Their teacher Ryougi Shiki was 20 when Sakura called the Ryougi around December, wanting to start at January and willing to pay the Ryougi for their time after the girls finished the basics and the arts they found easy to master as well as physically-conditioning themselves as Tohsaka are martial artists by nature. And Shiki was from a family of Demon Hunters but long since became Yakuza-like wealthy landowners instead as hello, no more demons in this era? But they still kept their training as tradition.

Shiki is a normal human...save for the fact that she possessed the rare Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, something she gained from a car accident and woke up with.

Shiki knows full well how to condition a female body for battle, and she didn't come alone; she dragged Aozaki Touko for the ride, and a young man named Kokutou Mikiya.

Aoi got along well with Touko and Mikiya, while Shiki went to work with the girls. Sakura was willing to pay Shiki 50 million yen a year until both of them are fifteen years old, so Sakura was the remaining pupil left as Rin just finished Junior High. According to Touko, Shiki's combat skills was high-spec with no openings in both offense and defense, and a speed-oriented fighter. Shiki possesses heightened physical abilities, enhancing her mobility in combat. Her most notable ability, self-suggestion, heavily reinforces her physical and mental abilities. The girls were heavily trained and disciplined by her and became capable knife and sword fighters as well as street fighting.

Sakura also took interest in puppetry, begging Touko to teach them was wasn't in their purchased books as she's the best in Puppetry...for 200 million yen(to Mikiya's horror). The reason she could pull off this audacity, was due to her cunning in managing their properties that they're very wealthy. Touko agreed because the money offered, was HUGE and would teach them worth that money. Indeed, Touko lived up to her name as the greatest puppet-maker in the world, but she said that they have to swear NEVER to tell anyone that she taught them as she is still a Sealing Designate.

Because of Sakura's circuits, only she could replicate Touko's greatest work, a puppet closest to the human body. This was why she got a Designate as magi being born with EX-Class Circuits, are 1 in a trillion. And it needed mana of great quality to create it. And as nobody has such circuits, weeell...

The money spent, was worth it.

'The Clock Tower huh?' Shiki frowned. 'So either you make it big there, or get slapped like Touko did.'

'Ahya, I'll be careful sensei.' said Rin sheepishly. 'I can't be a House Head if I got slapped. Where'd Touko go after teaching us Puppetry anyway?'

'Something about going to NASA as she wants to go to Space as a doctor.'

'Well, that's one place Magi can't find her.' said Rin wryly. 'Magi are technologically-illiterate and behind the times in modern technological developments and advances as we found out as kids. Had Sakura not insisted we buy electronics and appliances in order to pass off as a normal family, we'd be just as dumb too. Space is the perfect place that Touko can spend her time there without having to watch her back.'

'That's true...'

Thus Shiki would spend two more years in the Tohsaka Residence for Sakura to graduate as well. As a gift, Sakura gifted Shiki a tanto and a sword made of very dense steel that would require one hell of an effort to break or dull as its very sharp. It has a solid gold guard, hilt and pommel and its a very beautiful sword and knife made for a woman. It has crimson-red wrappings around its hilt and a matching sheath. The tanto given to her was double-edged, and also has gold and crimson designs. Both were as a gift.

And Sakura too, graduated Junior High at 15.

xxx

For Emiya Shirou...

Since the day he met the Ghost Girl, he studied hard, buying many medical books, and find ways in application with his knowledge in Healing Sorcery.

Kiritsugu found that his son has newfound interest in medicine.

'Ohya, found a goal in life, Shirou?'

'Un!' Shirou nodded. 'Dad, what else can magecraft be used for by a doctor?'

'Healing Magecraft aside, you need to know how to make medicine too.' said Kiritsugu. 'But that would be hard as you need to study the ingredients you'd be using to make medicine without a margin of error lest you make the consumer sick.' he said. 'Let's come up with ideas but I'm worried about your magecraft...'

'I can do it old man!' Shirou pouted. 'I guess some stuff's not good with me so let's try and try until we hit the jackpot!'

'That's gambling...'

But Kiritsugu humored him as Shirou found a safer way to be a mage in. And he liked that.

He was also surprised that he excelled in healing. In fact, he has a great affinity for it!

So Kiritsugu purchased magecraft that would help Shirou in his new goals in life. It was a by far, safer attempt to be a magus anyway.

He could die in peace, happy that he saved and nurtured a life after years of nothing but murder, that he felt that Shirou gave him redemption that he wanted.

At the funeral...

'Hey Fuji-nee...dad died with a smile on his face...why?' Shirou asked Taiga. 'People normally are afraid of death.'

'Well, sometimes people die happy.' said Taiga softly. 'Who knows what his life is like, that he was happier dead. Its a sad reality for those he left behind.'

'Oh...'

To stave off depression and loneliness, Shirou buried himself in his studies as a distraction from grief while training his body as his father said no magus has a weak body, for you need a physically-fit, well-disciplined body capable of acrobatics and martial arts to be a good magus.

He dedicated his whole being there.

And two more years passed...that Sakura finished her training under Shiki and is now enrolling for High School when she got a call from Rin from her cellphone.

'Neesan? International Calls are expensive.' said Sakura.

/Nevermind that! That jackass Kirei didn't tell us that the Fifth Grail War is fifty years early for some reason! Send me money now so I can buy a relic!/ came Rin's panicked cry.

'I knew we couldn't trust him.' Sakura growled. It was why she hired Shiki and later Touko as teachers. 'How much do you need?'

/I need to pay 700.000 pounds. How much is that in yen?/

Sakura did fast calculations in her head.

'That'd be almost 100 million yen, neesan. I'll send it over and converted. What class are we aiming for?'

/I want a Saber of course, and I had this eye in a relic. I hope its a Saber./

'Neesan, do your research on this character please...' Sakura sputtered, exasperated at her sister's happy-go-lucky attitude at a time like this. 'And please hurry because Kirei deliberately left us a short time frame, that damn bastard! I only found out about this war because of you when this should be another six decades wait!'

/Hey, its a shard from the Round Table of Arthurian Myth! It should draw Sabers!/

'Ah, no wonder you're confident. Alright, by Japan Nighttime since its still lunchbreak here, you'll get the money.'

/Alright, be waiting then!/ and cut.

'At least we'll be OK somehow...' Sakura sighed. 'Now then...time to get mother to go to her old home again soon next year...'

The war starts at February. Same time and its still spring...there's time to fortify the house again and create familiars for their forces. She wasn't sure how competent her sister's enemies would be. Three Founding Families aside...four from the Tower for sure and she's pretty sure they did their homework on her by now...

xxx

Rin swore.

As a student in Clock Tower, she should have just gone and graduated in two more years but nooo! This just HAD to happen to her.

As soon as she was told of the Grail War happening TOO early by her ancestor, she had a meltdown in his office no less when he called her there if only out of concern(because she clearly had no clue) as she has yet to earn his notice even if she was doing so well. In fact, as soon as she found out while cursing Kotomine Kirei for betraying her family in such a manner when its his duty to tell them that despite all their father has done for him, command spells that was an inverted version of her father's appeared on her hand.

'Well, you're here in the tower and you need a relic to summon your Servant so you should make your way to the Summoning Department. They'll part a relic for you for a price.' said Zelretch.

Thanking her ancestor(and bowing five times) before scampering out of his office, the old vampire can only chuckle.

She was able to talk to and negotiate for a relic. Once she got the money, she paid for it and studied about the Grail Wars.

"I gotta do this on my own...Sakura pushed me for 17 years of my life that I became who I am now, I got to walk on my own two legs for a change!" Rin thought as she studied about the books she found...and since she's got a British Relic, why not summon her Servant in their home country?

After all, people's adoration, becomes a Servant's power.

She looked at her Command Spells.

If it glows, it means her mana reserves are full.

Well, considering she has classes...and it takes her a couple hours to recover...

Well, surely she can stay up late anyway but she'll wait for December. Too early. For now she'll train and prepare herself for survival prospects. If she dies, Sakura can't get the crest...she's incompatible! To be a proper clan head you must have it! That was the rule by magi.

She cannot die here.


	3. THE THREE DREAMERS

Clock Tower...

Tohsaka Rin is quite well-known alright.

For one from such a shallow lineage, she was born a miracle unlike her father Tohsaka Tokiomi whose powers were truly a result of their short history as Magi.

40 powerful circuits, and born an Average One.

Her father is a mediocre magus with 25 Circuits with just-as-mediocre quality. However he made up for it by having strong bases and foundations that each of his spells have 'decent' effects and honed Jewelcraft that was a notch above what the Association currently knows in its many stored tomes as noted by Zelretch that despite their shallow lineage, their clan's reputation 'improved a bit'.

She was also already a capable clan head as she participated in events for clan heads only and spoke well in politics and such, that many families found themselves pressuring their own heirs not to be outdone by 'that yellow-skinned asian chit'. She who was just too good and the uppity families were irritated but competence was competence. You do not survive the tower by being an idiot.

In truth, Rin was cunning and capable, thanks to her sister who was ahead of her years. She who pushed Rin to be who she is today and Rin knows it.

Sakura was the motivator and supporter as their father wished it so, as Sakura's duty was prosperity in society and Rin's duty was prosperity as magi.

By dividing duties between them, the Tohsaka have great breathing room as a result, and less stress at that.

However, Rin was very updated, because she uses ant familiars linked to many pendulums in her room. The ants listen to every word spoken in the tower's many rooms that has no Bounded Fields, and Rin reads the events every night.

However, she gets an alarm if events happen immediately instead of next day or next week, month and year.

That aside, she is also a known student in Mineralogy, but also took other courses. However, abilities, unknown as unlike most magi, she does not brag what she was capable of in paperwork alone as most students write down what they know just to look superior to others. Rin did not. All she has, was a mischievously smug smile on her face.

In the academy, people get injured.

Getting into her bags and lockers were a bad, baaaad idea, and injuries took weeks to heal. Her dorm room was worse, resulting in hospitalization by critical conditions. Because the hallway was booby-trapped with nasty traps, even if she had neighbors it will only activate if and only if there was intent of going to her room unauthorized.

So in P.E which translates to Magus Combat, Rin does only enough to defeat, she never shows off nor prolongs her fights. All they know is that she's insanely fast and uses precise strikes for a one-hit KO. That's it.

And she's a Master in the upcoming Grail Wars, and purchased an artifact for her summoning already.

Only those sponsoring the Association Candidates knows what she's bought.

'So Tohsaka bought a shard of the Round Table?' Atrum asked as in an office, was the magi sponsored for by the association.

'Yes.' said Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. 'She looked at the stocks for a long time before deciding which one, clearly aiming for a Saber. So, which ones would you like?'

'I have it set hard on being a Lancer.' said Bazett Fraga McRemitz, giving Bram a small slip of paper.

'I as well.' said Atrum Galliasta.

'That makes it five participants now.' said Bram. 'But nobody's moving in for the remaining two spots. The Einzberns already summoned Berserker. Tohsaka wants a Saber. And...' he looked at the slips, '-you two want a Lancer and Caster. But Atrum, you sure about this one? You'll die early you know, given this one's reputation.'

'I'm sure of it.' said Atrum.

'On your own head, be it...Lancer's 950000 and Caster is 1200000.'

'Expensive!' Bazett gasped out in aghast as Atrum looked like he swallowed a whole egg, shell included.

'Well, ones from the Age of Gods are expensive! The older the pricier, just like antiques!' Bram sputtered. 'They're harder to find!' he snorted. 'The Matou purchased a Rider, so the classes left are Archer and Assassin up for grabs. And how come nobody interested is coming? Its almost time soon we can't do this with only five people!'

xxx

Japan, Homurahara Gakuen...

Sakura tasted normal life for the first time that she enjoyed elementary school, and junior high school.

The thing was, she experienced in Grade 5 to Junior High what she never did before in Hogwarts.

While aware that her new body was beautiful, she never thought boys would become shy or nervous around her all of a sudden.

As Harry Potter, she was never like that around any girl at all...until her mother told her that because of her past wherein she's so broken she never thought of possibilities of having her 'first love' that survival was her primary concern and trying to get by, and she has limited company none of whom are good influences in regards to teaching her how to be social and expand her world, it was no wonder.

Aoi had to teach her what puberty was. The age when boys notice 'girls' and girls notice 'boys' and what they like about them. From looks to personality traits, having crushes, a struggle to confess to the one they like...among such things.

So Tohsaka Sakura understood at long last what Harry Potter never did.

Harry Potter wasn't ugly or anything. He was good-looking and that's not her vanity talking. Her mother and father said so when she 'printed' what he looked like at age 18. Sure he has a girlfriend but that was more born of war pressure, irrationality and the need to leave behind proof they were alive. A baby. It was why loads of people married YOUNG. But his and Ginny Weasley's romance never lasted long anyway which was why as quick as it was there, as quick as it was when feelings faded away.

What Harry felt was just a survival impulse.

If it was love, he would have chosen a better girl he would live for, not the most convenient choice who was his best friend's sister. Had he chosen a girl who actually loves Harry Potter, not the image of who he was to his people, Harry would have fought harder to live with her instead of accepting his death as he had when he thought there's nothing to live for having lost everything. The sad part was, that was the bitter truth.

And now, he became Tohsaka Sakura. She would experience what its like to be loved and cherished and protected by a boy.

She had no idea what to feel about that.

'Sakura,' said Aoi. 'You suffered and gave and gave yet got nothing in return. To the point that you don't even know how it is to receive for a change.' she said, 'Such a thing is harmful and painful to you but you never noticed your suffering as people demanded more of you, expected more from you, you never got any room to think about what YOU truly want.' she stated severely in severe disapproval.

'True relationships are give-and-take. You give and they receive, then they give and you receive, and make compromises out of concern and consideration. And always ask for opinions instead of doing things without their knowing and input as some surprises, are never good when they could possibly want something else, not the one you have in mind.' she explained. 'As a girl, its a good opportunity to teach you what's it like to be loved and treasured.'

'I'll be loved for a change by boys?'

'Yes. By knowing how a boy loves a girl, you'll know how to properly love a girl when you're reborn a boy again.' Aoi smiled. 'Experiences are the best teachers.'

So she watched.

There are boys who simply found her attractive and cute, and intimidated by her because of both so they were shy around her.

So only her looks were an issue, even moreso as she grew up so that made her quite sad. Upset by it, she dove into training and research, and Shiki and Rin called her out on it. However, when Rin was out of earshot, A Shiki that wasn't her teacher talked to her, fully-aware about her case and was more helpful than her mother.

Well, that Shiki, was Akasha itself that gained an Ego by inhabiting Shiki until her natural death. After giving her advice, Sakura asked how can the Tohsaka stop pursuing Akasha as the family's goal since its IMPOSSIBLE as Sakura realized just by meeting her.

'Fufufu...its not impossible, Sakura-chan.' Shiki smiled. 'Those who will meet me to gain magic or the knowledge they wished for are destined since birth before they're even born. Magi try and try to reach me in hopes of being that chosen one but sadly, I call the shots here.' she stated with a playful look on her face. 'As much as you wish to, your family will never stop, and can never reach me as nobody even in the distant future is fated.'

'Because you chose ones who wouldn't misuse it?'

'One of the reasons.' Shiki told her. 'You being Master of Death is one such case. No matter what life throws at you, you will never abuse your immortality and protect your secret.'

'Then...about the Holy Grail War...' Sakura deflated. 'Its doomed to fail from the start...? Can't neesan just focus on working hard to make the Tohsaka a renowned well-respected name instead? Can't she just forget about reaching the Root?'

'As long as you're by her side, she'll never think of the family goals.' said Shiki. 'You've done quite well in that regard. Oh yes, there's one thing you need to do for me...'

Upon getting what was to be done and the means to do so, Sakura bid her time, and that Shiki never showed before her anymore.

As she went through Junior High School wherein she blossomed as a beauty, puberty attacked all teenagers. Gender-differences and crushes aside, there's also physical maturity and the most hated pimples. Girls in her class wailed at having the things on their faces, and some even get startled with 'the red tide'.

Sakura was glad she was forewarned and forearmed with her sister.

They used magical products to make teenage life bearable, and a 'warning system' of their cycle. They knew when they're fertile, and about to bleed. Their hair is perfect, no body hair, no blemishes and smooth, beautiful skin befitting an aristocrat family as Rin wanted the picture of elegance and beauty because she took their father's words seriously. In fact, their mother who was only 39, did not look 39 at all thanks to Rin's vanity. And she has suitors in town from men her age. However, they would have NONE of it as they're a magus family, bad idea for ordinary men to discover they're magical unless they find a rare man like Mikiya. Aware of the supernatural, but would prefer a normal life, content with supporting his not-normal friends in his own way.

Rin, Sakura and Touko would think 'Lucky Shiki!'

And now that she was 15, her criteria was a man just like Mikiya for a boyfriend, and sent out magical feelers...and to her surprise, that man in question, was the boy she poked years back!

So she did some investigating.

Emiya Shirou, age 17 Room 2-C living in Miyama-cho. Family was recorded as Emiya Kiritsugu(Foster Father-deceased) and Fujimura Taiga(Legal Guardian).

"Emiya Kiritsugu, Master of Saber in the last war..." Sakura thought at home.

Emiya Shirou was a boy she helped because his training was lacking. Perhaps it's because the Magus Killer is a lousy teacher or deliberately sucked to dissuade his adoptive son from the path of a magus? She can never really tell, but she botched up the man's plans by giving him a nudge.

Shirou was a bit stronger than their father which was why she helped him out as its a waste to let someone like him wither before he had the chance to grow properly.

But still, its first come, first served as much as Sakura cared for Rin, she refuses to lose the ideal boy who would love her to her.

So she worked to be noticed by him.

'Coincidental' sightings, seeing her in school during lunch break, even joining the Archery Club...she did it all until he approached her.

They talked together as after all, she did NOT teach him how to differentiate magus from human. Unless Kiritsugu botched her plans by teaching him how.

That would mess up her plans.

xxx

Lately he's bumping into this girl lately...

A Junior with long brown hair in a hime cut with the cheek-length fringes spread a bit. She's a beautiful girl with a very fair complexion.

Her name was Tohsaka Sakura. She was also in the Archery Club starting at the second month of school. She joined the club late because she was super-busy at home beforehand. But she was a good shot for a beginner.

Everything about her was striking.

Long, flowing brown hair, like that girl who poked him in the head causing him to black out, and learned how to heal and protect.

That girl was his reason for being a proper mage.

Since then he looked for a magus with long hair, wanting to meet her for real but since her arm obscured her face, he could not tell who and girls decide on haircuts depending on what's trending, so his clue was a magus girl with brown hair.

But he has no way of knowing without his father's gadgets.

'Shirou, Magi, because of Magic Circuits and prana actively flowing in them, have higher body temperatures. Especially if they're using concealing spells. If they want to hide, just use a heat-detecting scope or create a spell that mimics one. You'll be surprised to see a human-shaped figure glowing like neon lights with it.'

So he tried. He created a spell that enables his eyes to detect living things no matter where they are through heat as he studied the differences between the heat emitted by a living thing, and an active electronic.

Sakura was the only person who was glowing brightly. Her silhouette was bright! TOO bright!

He looked back to his father's lessons.

'You can determine how strong a magus is through brightness of what you see.' said Kiritsugu. 'I've looked at every magus with a scope while looking at their files. Starting with the amount of prana emitted by their circuits...' he created images through sorcery in black and white on many papers. 'Magi with 20 Circuits...25 Circuits...30 Circuits...' and up to even 90! 'The magi with 90 Circuits are often the families with statuses of Lords in Clock Tower, and their Branch Families.' he told him. 'However, there are magi born with 25 units of prana per circuit and rare 30. So the results are these.'

More papers shown. They were only 5% brighter.

'However Shirou...if you see a person whose silhouette is completely white...run. Never think of fighting them. Ever.' said Kiritsugu, looking at Shirou seriously. 'There are those who are extremely lucky to be born with EX-Class Circuits.'

'EX-Class?'

'It means powerful beyond compare.' said Kiritsugu. 'The quality of their prana is so great that one circuit alone containing all its units can cause considerable, even lethal force in even their weakest spells. Number of Circuits no longer matter with these people. Aozaki Touko of the Aozaki Family was born with 20 Circuits of such quality, enabling her to obtain the much-coveted status of Grand when she graduated from Clock Tower. She was particularly very bright according to my teacher who taught me this trick. Never cross a Magus who's so white from your scope. Only stupid suicidal idiots would choose death.'

That's what he said.

He decided to keep an eye on Sakura by befriending her and hopefully, avoid having her crosshairs on him. He's a doctor, not a fighter! He doesn't even know what she can do. Kiritsugu taught him about the supernatural families of Japan and what he knew of them.

However, Sakura was a mystery.

Magical Families only have one heir to avoid deadly squabbles on who would be family head. Yet the Tohsakas kept their two daughters with the eldest clearly being heiress of Tohsaka, so what does that make Sakura, the stronger sister? When he and Kiritsugu snuck around to look at the family of three females when he was ten, Rin's brightness was as expected of someone with 40 Circuits.

Then to the Matou Family.

Matou Byakuya had a paltry 10 Circuits. He was akin to a flashlight critically low-batt. His son Shinji had none as the Matou finally died through him. It was Zouken who was the brightest, but his light was foul. A blackened light that disgusted Kiritsugu that made his father dive into research...and his father was furious for some reason.

Thus when his father was dying...

'Shirou...will you promise me something?' Kiritsugu asked Shirou on his deathbed.

'What is it, dad?' Shirou asked Kiritsugu as he did all he could but he just wouldn't get better...because of a deadly curse on him that's too powerful for him to break and he despaired in it.

'Read my...research...under the mattress of my bed. You'll understand everything.' said Kiritsugu weakly. 'Become a good magus that gives and protects life. Being a doctor is a really cool dream.' he said with a strained, pained smile. 'I'm sure you'll be a magus you can be proud of.' and he died.

When Shirou raided his bed before he called the Fujimuras the next day, he found his research...and a diary.

A diary about the Fourth Holy Grail War, how he realized that there's something wrong with the prize, and how his rejecting it got him cursed. He had Saber blow it up to destroy it to protect the world from seven billion curses but blowing it up was apparently a mistake...it poured its evil mana onto the city, causing the Great Fire of Shinto to his horror that he desperately looked for survivors...and Shirou was the only one he found. No memory, and no relative came to claim him either. So he adopted Shirou and left him everything he had.

He was truly sorry for the deaths he unwittingly caused in a desperate bid to protect the rest of the world. The evil within the Grail had the last laugh and killed a whole district as if to spite him that he still failed to protect a couple hundred from it, and then cursed him to die a painful death for rejecting it. So he planted bombs outside Fuyuki City that will cause a 'bump' in the leylines that will explode in ten years, hoping to 'choke' the Grail by not gaining any more prana and start the next Grail War ten years later as its prana wasn't spent at all...and the winner unwittingly unleashing curses instead of the prize they wanted to obtain. However, the result of the choking would be an earthquake every six decades in Fuyuki.

And he checked the bombs in the location given.

It blew up back at New Year. The amount of explosions just to cause a bump, was ridiculous.

The destruction, was massive.

And now he has a near-impossible mission, his father's last will.

What can be the key to end it all?


End file.
